I voted that ghosts may exist but we may not agree on what we mean by ghosts. There is a wide range of alleged phenomena, each of which are generally interpreted as one or another of so called ghosts, but what I really mean by my vote is seemingly unexplained phenomena. I do think odd things happen, but I don't leap to any particular interpretation of that phenomena as being due to the souls of the dead, evil spirits, transdimensional beings, or any of the many explanations conjured up in the pop culture. On the other hand, some of this stuff is downright spooky.

Hi Ivan,
Yes, I'm using "ghosts" as kind of a catch-all phrase for...well...something hard to sum up in a word, but juicier than "unexplained phenomenon". So I think you were right in voting yes.

It's interesting, the two differences between this poll and another I ran elsewhere is only in the Alien category, I've found more true blue believers elsewhere...and in the Bigfoot category, apparently some here are more open to the idea of Bigfoot being possibly real than I've found elsewhere.

I was using these opinion gatherings in helping me to decide what to write a paper on...and ultimately decided on Aliens, what the phenomenom says about our culture. I believe my conclusion will be that I'm not sure what terrifies me more, the idea that Aliens beings are cruising the earth abducting, poking, and prodding people.....or the idea that a few percent of the population are so delusional that they believe that they have been abducted. Either way, for all the play this subject does get in the mainstream press, it deserves much more....because of course, if it is true, what could possibly be more important?

I believe my conclusion will be that I'm not sure what terrifies me more, the idea that Aliens beings are cruising the earth abducting, poking, and prodding people.....or the idea that a few percent of the population are so delusional that they believe that they have been abducted.

Thing is, the "abductions" are more vivid and realistic than you probably suppose. We talk about it in this thread:

You ought to read at least up to my "abduction", and however much of the resultant discussion hold your interest. It should have bearing on your paper.

Sorry Zoob, didn't mean for that to sound dismissive, they are very vivid and realistic I know. My point is that there are only two possibilities, either they are all delusions of some kind (all of them), or at least some of them (one even) are real. If they are all delusions it is very worrisome, if they aren't then it is truly terrifying. That's all I meant.

I read your story, I had a dream once that was not similiar in it's details but very similiar in it's vividness, it was as if it happened. I was sleeping, and my dream so far as I can remember did not have a lead-in to the event (like you walking to Micky D's) so I never would have considered it more than a dream.

(I dreamt) I was with a friend of mine, Adam, out at my summer cabin. I recall distinctly his 55 Chevy parked out near a storage shed, both doors open, us standing outside and to the front of the car looking up. It was night. There was a blue beam of light shining down on me, but it almost existed more as a sound that a light...there was a very intense buzzing low freq noise in my head...it was a little like it had control of my head, I was not necessarily able to think or do anything...the buzz had control. I do remember thinking that "ahhhh...so this is a tractor beam" It was one of the most intense feelings I've ever had, I remember the feeling now 10 years later just as I did when I woke up.

It was very strange all the way around, extremly intense. But I don't count that as a delusion, it was a dream. I'm more interested in the abduction stories that occur when people claim to have been awake. Or people waking up with their clothes on backwards...you know less explicable stuff. They are either bone crazy, or it's happening.

But I don't count that as a delusion, it was a dream. I'm more interested in the abduction stories that occur when people claim to have been awake.

I think we went into this in that thread. Sleep paralysis with accompanying hallucinations followed by false memories edited in after the fact probably account for many. Then I think I mentioned trance states induced by having lights from airplanes catch your eye while you're fatigued from driving.

(It's interesting, I just happened to watch the old Humphrey Bogart film They Drive By Night about long distance truckers, and the whole culture they describe is one of stopping to chug coffee so they didn't fall asleep at the wheel. Despite that, there are two major accidents in the film caused by people falling sound asleep while driving. A girl I know told me the story of going cross country with a guy and waking up from a nap to look over and see her friend at the wheel with his eyes closed, snoring peacefully. My bet is that many people end up driving long distances in some in-between state - eyes open, and partially reactive to the environment, but essentially in a trance. )

Or people waking up with their clothes on backwards...you know less explicable stuff. They are either bone crazy, or it's happening.

If you have the time you might research the phenomenon of Complex-Partial seizures. These are non-convulsive seizures that essentially can throw a person right from full consciousness into a sleepwalking state. Many people perform complex actions during complex partials for which they later have total amnesia. Taking your clothes off and putting them on backwards is completely consistent with the sort of thing they might do. Undressing is common. I read an account by one guy who would take his trousers off, take everything out of the pockets, and arrange all the stuff neatly on a table, then go wandering around with no pants on. In all cases, regardless of the particular thing they do during the seizure, the common thing to all is amnesia for the event after it's over. In other words: missing time.

The trouble with this kind of seizure is that if no one sees them in that state, tell them what they did, and gets them to a doctor, it won't occur to them that the "missing time" represents a neurological problem. I think alot of abductees are undiagnosed cases of Complex-Partial seizures, which the person embroiders with false memories of abduction, when that's the only thing they've heard of that seems to explain it.

I voted for, alien life exsts and there is concrete proof. Every night that I look up at a clear sky, it is proof enough. I guess I'm just a little bit too far ahead... it's another "earth is flat" era... and I've already accepted that it's round. The only reason so many people haven't accepted this yet is because of organized religions. Erase that from your mind and you're free to explore your existence and come to accepting truths about the universe.

Oh, I understand. I'm being a little careful about that! Last time I mentioned anything about it, I was banned. Trying to be respectful to the site so I can stick around and have conversation with you otherwise nice and intellectual folk. :)

Actually, "I believe because I've seen one" is absolutely allowed in the S&D forum. In this case it was a poll asking your opinion, but as a rule, "I know it to be true just because", is another thing. As long as we stick with the perceived facts from personal experiences and don't get into theories or extended messages from ET, I would like to hear your story - we are always interested in sincere claims of direct observations of phenomena. Feel free to start a thread.

The chances of their not being ET life in the universe are extremely small to the point of the notion that their isn't being somewhat absurd, the problem is the sparsity of life and the distances involved. I'm not going to start making any definitive claims that ET life has visited Earth unless I start making mashed potato mountains after seeing lots of alien space craft/aliens.

Ghosts undoubtedly people have seen or experienced bizarre phenomena, the question is, is it something "real" or material, is it halucination. Is the number of hauntings related to an area indicative of the ambience and general histroy and rumour, real events, or even just fanciful imaginings primed by sugestion. Is their some sort of imprinting on an area when particularly horrific events happen? Answer? Jury is out?

Bigfoot, aw cmon now, it's a plot by the parks commision to get more tourist/government money